Tales of Maximum Ride: After Palmacosta
by JessTalksAlot
Summary: Maximum Ride finds herself and a the flockin an unknown world that is far less high tech than her own and has totally different traditions.  What will happen when she meets a certain Emil Castagnier and his companions?  On Hiatus, may possibly revise.
1. Prologue

_Long ago, the Giant Kharlan Tree, the essence of balance and order in the world, withered and died._

_By the will of the heavens, the world was cleaved in two._

_Many years later, the Chosen of Regeneration planted a new World Tree to take the place of the withered Giant Kharlan Tree._

_The birth of the New World Tree also brought about the unification of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla._

_The two words were now reborn as one._

_The world was at the dawn of a bright new era. Or so it seemed..._

_Palmacosta_

Bloody screams rang across the city. Besieged with fire and fighting, several people ran throughout the city. Scrambling for water or the exit. Many didn't.

People were being killed here and there. People were running around everywhere. "There she is!" A man shouted, pointing towards one of the running people. She was a brunette, holding a gem in her hands.

They had her cornered at a wall, "Seize her. I'll follow Lloyd." One said and ran off.

The girl kept the gem to her chest

With their high level of technological prowess, the Tethe'allan civilization looked down upon the people of Sylvarant as barbarians.

The Sylvaranti blamed the Chosen of Regeneration for bringing this world into being, as they turned their backs on the Church of Martel that supported her.

_Scorching hot deserts were blanketed with snow._

_Bountiful lakes dried up and withered._

_Forests burned to ash, as glaciers melted into the sea._

_These phenomena fanned the flames of dissatisfaction within the hearts of the people, leading to the birth of a monster._

_A resistance organization was formed by the oppressed people of Sylvarant to defend themselves._

United against the perceived evils of Tethe'alla and the Church of Martel, they called themselves the Sylvaranti Liberation Front, the Vanguard.

_Elsewhere in Palmacosta_

"Emil! Hurry!" A man called out to his son. He was holding his wife close to him, his son close behind.

The boy caught up with them when the one known as Lloyd Irving came into view... and attacked.

"L-Lloyd Irving!" The man shouted.

"The people of Palmacosta have aided the Vanguard and undermined the authority of the Church of Martel and the Chosen. The punishment for this crime is death!" Lloyd unsheathed his swords and stepped towards the two. The boy running towards them froze, scared to fight back for his parents.

"Mom!"

"Emil! Run away from here!"

_Elsewhere in Palmacosta_

"This way!" A girl, around the age of 16 shouted towards five others. The six ran across the city towards the exit.

"No one's around here." The youngest said, "Should we take off?"

The girl shook her head, "No. We could catch fire."

The youngest stopped again, "Wait! Someone's in trouble!" She spun around and took off in a different direction.

"Everyone's in trouble, Angel!" The second youngest shouted, clutching his head.

The young girl, only around the age of 8, continued to run. She stopped when she saw a brunette cornered by four men. "Help me! Help me Ratatosk!" The girl shouted. A bright light shone from a gem the girl was holding and both girls passed out.

When they came to, a boy in a white lab coat, with blond hair and green eyes was standing there. The four men that had cornered the brunette were on the ground unconscious.

He helped the 8 year old up first, then helped the brunette up, "Are you alright?" he asked.

The 8 year old shook where she stood, staring up at the boy. "Are you the one who saved me- us?" The brunette asked. The boy just stared for a few minutes when a howl rang through the area. The boy looked in the sound's direction.

"I have to go..." The boy said and ran off.

"Wait!" the brunette called out, "What's your name?"

The boy was already too far ahead. He stepped towards the scene where the man and woman had been attacked by Lloyd. He looked down at them when the woman looked up. "Emil, you came back!" she said. She frowned, "Oh dear, I can't even see your face!" She gave him a pained expression, "I... I won't last much longer. You have to live... You have to run before Lloyd comes back. Go to Luin. To your Aunt Flora. Hurry." With her final words she died.

"M-mom..." The boy said in a weaker voice than the one he addressed the brunette and 8 year old with. "Mom!"


	2. Ch 1: A Whole New World

**Author's Note: this first chapter is going to go along with the story line of ToS more than the rest of the story, so don't flame me because most of the dialogue was in the game.**

_Outside of Luin_

Maximum Ride sat up from her place in the lakebed in a boat. "Guys, wake up, I heard that howl again."

The rest of her flock stirred. Max was the oldest of the six bird-kids. She had blondish-brown, wavy hair and chocolate colored eyes. She was 16. The second oldest was Fang. He was also 16 and Max's second in command. He was black everything. Except his skin. His hair was just now beginning to reach his shoulders after his latest haircut. Next came Iggy. He was blind and had strawberry-blond hair. He has pale skin and pale-blue eyes. He was also 16. Then there was 13 year old Nudge. She was African-American with brown hair, skin, and eyes. Out of the six, she longed for a normal life the most. Then there was Gazzy who was 10. He had blond hair and blue eyes. His sister, Angel, who was only 8 had vanished six months ago when a town called Palmacosta was attacked.

Everyone assumed she was dead. "Report." Max barked.

"Everyone's here, Max. Just because we're sleeping in a boat in a dried up lakebed doesn't mean some critter's gonna kidnap us." Iggy said.

Max thumped him on the head. "Who wants to go into town for supplies?" She asked. No volunteers. "Fine, I'll go." She climbed out of the hole in the side of the ship and walked towards the nearby town of Luin.

Luin wasn't very big. Most people were kind to eachother. But there was a handful of people that the town hated, including Max and one of their own citizens.

As Max walked she recieved many glares from those around her. She was used to this since it had been at least three months since they made their home in the boat out on the lakebed. They decided that, since no Erasers had shown up in six months, they could be safe for a little bit.

Before anything, she went to visit the statue of Lloyd Irving, whom she had heard was responsible for the attack on the city they were in six months ago. She stared at the statue. "He looks far more noble than the boy that attacked that city..." She said.

She walked towards the item shop and bought bread and some random meats with some gald she had taken from a sleeping camper on the lake. I'm not saying that theivery is a good thing, but they only had American money and the Max Card wouldn't cut it in a world with little technology.

The item shop happened to be in the Mayor's house. The shop owner was probably one of the few people that didn't want to cut Max's throat out and feed it to the monsters outside. She took a piece of the bread off of the loaf and ate it, "Thanks again." She said.

"Shh. I don't want the others to think I'm on your side. I won't get anymore business."

Max sort of wanted to slap the woman, but most people in this town were far more selfish about themselves. "Yeah, whatever." Max began for the door out, just as she reached it a boy came in and bumped into her.

"I-I'm sorry!" He said in a sort of wimpy voice.

"No, it's fine, it was my fault." Max said apologetically... which was a rare thing for her, so it surprised her. "You look familiar."

He stared at her, "I don't recognize you." She could have sworn she had seen the boy running aroudn in Palmacosta not long before she and her remaining flock members escaped. "I'm sorry. Am I in your way?" He asked, bringing Max back to Earth.

"No, I was just thinking of something." She stepped to the side to let the boy by. She walked out of the Mayor's house and started back towards the lakebed.

"Arooooooooooooooo!"

Max looked around, and despite wanting to head back to her family, she felt as though she should stay put.

Just then, a man with long red hair and glasses steped out of the Mayor's house and stood outside as if waiting for someone. The boy she had run into came out not long after. "You're still here?" He asked.

"Is this a friend of yours?" The red-head asked.

"Um..."

"Yes." Max blurted. She mentally slapped herslef. _What the hell am I doing?_ "But I don't live here in Luin. I live just outside of here."

The red-head nodded, "You seem like you can handle yourself. You acompany us and make sure the kid doesn't bang himself up too much." He walked on ahead and the boy looked at Max.

"Wh...why did you do that?" He asked.

"Do what?"

He looked down a bit, "Say you were my friend?"

Max shrugged, "Good first impression? By the way, my name's Max. And yours?"

"Emil."

"Well, Emil, let's catch up with your buddy."

_The Flock's Boat House_

-While Max was in Town-

"Did anyone hear that?" Fang asked. A growl came from outside and he stepped out.

Outside, a weak boy and a girl were fighting a bear... beside the girl was none other than Angel. After a bit, the three defeated the bear and they introduced themselves. The boy's name was Emil, the girl's was Marta.

"Angel." Fang called soon as the boy left.

Angel looked in his direction and smiled, "Fang!" She ran towards him, "Fang! You're alive. Is everyone else okay? Where's Max?"

"Gee, I think Nudge is starting to ware off on Angel." Iggy said, nudging Nudge. Get it? Nudging Nudge? Oh skrew you.

"Max is in town. Who's your friend?" Fang said calmly.

"I'm Marta. And you are?"

Angel smiled, "This is my family, Marta." She looked at them, "We're not your everyday family, but we're family."

Marta smiled. "It's nice to finally meet you. But I need to go. We have a Centurion's core to hatch."

"Oh right... could... they come along, Marta?"

"Sure. If they want to of course."

"I'll go." Fang volunteered. "Iggy, Nudge and Gazzy stay in case Max decides to return." All three nodded. "Don't blow up the place, please." That earned a laugh from everyone.

_Lake Sanoa Lakebed Cave, after Max met Emil_

The three walked towards the entrance to the cave. Two gaurds and a man were at the entrance. The man turned towards them, "What? You came back again? What's wrong with you, you demonic little brat?"

Max crossed her arms and glared at the man. She decided she disliked him. "Hmph. A friend of the Vanguard indeed." One of the guards said. Okay, she was gonna punch him.

"He may be your nephew but you sure took in a real pest." The other guard said.

Richter spoke up for Emil, "The mayor's given him permession to accompany me. Please step aside."

Alba, one of the men and Emil's uncle stuttered, "The mayor? But..."

"Move!" Max said loudly, making her presence known to the men. The guards stepped aside but it took some 'persuasion' from Richter to get Alba to move. Richter and Max walked towards the entrance.

Richter turned towards Emil, "What are you waiting for?"

"W-w-wait! There are monsters in there!"

"So?" Max asked, staring at the man.

"I'm telling you, it's dangerous in there! You two can go on if you want, but leave him here with us!"

Max felt the need to punch the guy harder. "I'm heading in, Richter..." She said. She stepped into the cave and looked around. It looked like more of building than a cave..._Wait, why am I in a cave? Whatever happened to claustrophobia, Max the Idiot?_

Richter followed not long after, and a short time after that, Emil followed. Max cracked her knuckles. "So, what are we doing?"

"Emil here is leading me to a girl named Marta... I don't believe I have your name yet?"

"Max. Just Max."

Richter nodded, "Well, Max, let's carry on."

The three started walking and Richter looked towards Emil, "Alba really laid into you, why didn't you fight back?"

"I'm sorry..."

"You were like that with the kids in town, as well. Bullies like that will never leave you alone until you stand up to them. Nothing will change if you just take it!"

Max rolled her eyes, _Harsh much, Richter dude._

Emil apologized again, "I-I'm sorry.."

"What did I say about apologizing?"

Emil flinched a bit, "Oh... r-right."

"I'm not blaming you. You're free to do as you choose" Richter said calmly, "Just don't be so submissive all the time. Have some respect for yourselves."

_I can't tell if Richter's a nice guy or not..._ Emil thought.

They started walking again when Richter spotted a monster. "Max, you've fought monsters before, right?"

Max thought for a moment. Erasers could be considered monsters, heck, she could be considered a monster if she showed off her uniqueness. "Yeah."

"Emil?"

"Huh?" Emil gasped, "I mean.. well...-"

"Don't tell me you haven't..."

Emil shrunk back a bit, "Uh... I... only a little..."

"So, then you have."

"Twice." Emil said, "I think."

Richter crossed his arms, "You think?"

Max snickered a bit. "Great, now I'm getting laughed at..."

Max stopped laughing and got an insta-straight face. "I'm not laughing at you Emil... I just don't see the big deal in how many times you've fought. Laughing at Richter right here."

"How about I feed you to one of these monsters?" Richter said witha tint of annoyance in his voice.

Max lifted her hands in defense, "I'm kidding, geez."

As they said that, a blue, bird-like creature with an odd, long tail, no wings or feet, bounced over towards them. "Huh... this should do fine."

"A monster?" The monster jumped at them and began combat. "R-Richter! What should I do?"

"Relax, children fight monster like these for fun."

"Uh... but... I"

Max rolled her eyes, "Why are you asking Richter, just do what I do and you'll be fine- Wait... never mind, do what Richter does."

Richter guided Emil through the fight and they defeated the monster.

Max turned towards Richter, "What was that?"

"A Polwigle. A begginer's monster." He rolled his shoulders, "That should do." He unsheathed his weapons agains and swung them, sending a blast at the polwigle and killing it.

"What was that?" Max and Emil said in unison.

"It's called an arte. You learn them the more you fight and develop your skills." Max made sure to write that down in her notebook titled: Max's Brain.

"Even I can learn them?"

"You will in time. So, now do you understand how to fight?"

Emil chewed his lip a bit, "I-I think so..."

"Don't worry. I'm the one who asked you to come, I'll help you out if it gets too dangerous." They continued walking deeper into the cave. Max entertained Emil by telling him stories about her life on planet earth, telling them she was making them up as they went. Of course they ran into a monster here and there, but they pulled through with flying colors.

"Um.." Emil spoke up. Richter looked at him, "Why are you.. um... why are you looking for Marta?"

Richter pushed his glasses up, "Do you need to know that in order to live?" He asked.

Emil shook his head, "Um. No, I was just wondering."

"I have no need to satisfy your idle curiosity."

"I'm sorry..." Emil said, slumping down.

"Don't apologize so excessivly." Richter told him. Emil straightened up again. "I am often accused of being short with people. I don't

intend to change my ways, but it doesn't mean I have anything against you."

"Reminds me of someone I know." Max noted.

Emil turned towards her, "Who?"

"My boyfr- brother. His name is F-Nick."

"Finnick?" **(1)**

"No, just Nick."

"Oh..."

"If you two are finished chit-chatting, I think we should move on."

"I'm sorry." Emil said. "B-by the way. Thank you."

"There is nothing that you should thank me for. " Richter said.

Emil slumped down, "Oh, sorry."

Richter sighed and started walking deeper into the cave. "Emil! Stop!" Agiant spider dropped down in front of Emil and he ran back to Richter. Max ended up on her butt with a big scowl. Pay attention! You almost walked right into a monster."

"Sorry!"

"If you touch any monster you see walking around, you'll have to fight them." Richter said sagely, "Got it? If you stumble into an enemy, as you almost did just now, they're likely to get the upper hand and attack you from behind."

"The way you run into a monster makes a difference?" Max asked.

Richter nodded, "Yes. It's the same for both fighting and fleeing: Be aware of the enemy's direction and movements. Failing to do so can get you killed."

"Alright. I understand."

"And one more thing. I can't have you wandering in a daze like that again, so listen: It's not that I didn't appreciate your words of gratitude. Simply, I feel there's no need to give more thanks or apologies than a situation calls for."

"A-alright."

Richter looked off into the cave, "We must express ourselves to convoy our feelings to others." he said, "However, I feel emotions lose their strength once they're put into words." He swatted hair from his face, "So I prefer to only speak what is absolutely necessary. That's all."

"Okay."

Richter shook his head, "This is the first time I've had to explain this much to anyone." The group continued walking.

_I like this guy. I think I could trust him when it's most important._ Max noted in her mind.

_"Don't let your gaurd down, Maximum."_ The Voice. The Voice was an addition to Max from her extraordinary form.

_Shut up, Voice. Why shouldn't I?_ Max asked it.

_"Just be careful. This man could be trouble."_

**(1): Cookie points for people who thought of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games Series xD**


	3. Ch 2: Becoming a Knight of Ratatosk

**Author's Note: This chapter also follows along ToS's story line more than future chapters, all the explanation parts will be like this.**

_Sinoa Lakebed Cave_

The three walked up to a door. "Master Richter!"

Max blinked. "What... was that?" She asked.

"Probably just a monster." Richter nodded at her. "You two stay out here... on second thought, Max, come with me." He said. He pushed the door open and let Max go in before him.

On the other side of the door some floating creature that looked like a mermaid with two tails. She was near a brunette, a dark-looking boy and a small blond. Marta, Fang, and Angel.

"Angel, you're alive!" Max proclaimed, gasping.

Angel smiled, "Thanks to Marta."

Max looked at Marta, but her view was blocked by Richter, who attempted to attack her. She screamed, but wasn't hit. Fang had guarded her, so now he had two blades embedded into his arms.

"Fang!"

Richter yanked the blades out of Fang's arms and looked towards Marta, "Now, hand over Ratatosk's core!"

Marta shook her head, "No."

"We won't let you take it!" Angel shouted.

"Then I'll have to destroy it along with you." Richter stepped forward to attack again but was interrupted.

"Stop! Stop it, please!" He ran in between Richter and the two girls. "What are you doing, Richter?"

"I thought I told you to wait on the other side of the door."

Emil didn't respond to that, "Is this why you wanted to find Marta, so you could kill her?"

"Yes."

Max clenched her fists, shaking in anger a bit. "Why? Why would you hurt some innocent girl?" Max asked angrily.

"Because she is trying to awaken the demon lord, Ratatosk."

Max looked at Emil and Marta, "Demon lord?"

"What are you talking about?" Emil asked.

"I agree, it's quite a foolish name, but "demon lord" is the most appropriate term to describe what he is. If Ratatosk awakens, the world will be destroyed.

"No, you're wrong! Ratatosk isn't a demon! He's the lord of all monsters! He won't destroy the world!"

"I'm not interested in semantics." Emil suddenly shoved Richter away from Marta. Max grabbed Marta by the shoulders and pulled her back, to get her away from the man. Emil jumped between Richter and the girls, "Step aside."

"Emil's not gonna move a step, jerk!"

"That's right."

Richter shouted, "Move!" Emil hesitated, but quickly regained his composure and glared at him.

"I'm not a dog! That's why I'm going to make my own decisions!" He shouted.

Max smirked and nodded.

"Thank you." Marta said with a bit of a blush. She turned and ran through a door with Angel. Max, Fang, and Emil blocked the way.

Richter's voice was a bit calmer, but still angry, "I don't want to kill you. Move!"

"Not a chance!" Max confirmed. Both Fang and Emil nodded. "You'll have to get through Maximum Ride to hurt anyone." _Well, Voice, you were right. All trust for this guy is gone now. He's despicable._

"I thought I told you not to get in the way. Aqua, show yourself!" The mermaid thing appeared again.

"You called, Master Richter? ~" it said.

Emil blinked in surprise, but the bird-kids didn't react. "Take care of them. Just don't overdo it."

"A... talking monster?"

The being crossed its arms in offense, "I am no monster, you human! I am a centurion! Centurion Aqua!" It boasted.

"I don't care what you are. All I care is that I'm about to kick your-"

A monstrous tortoise appeared and rammed them from the room. All three were knocked out cold. When they came to they all stared at the door.

"We'll never be able to get through with that thing in the way..." Emil said glumly.

"Don't worry, we'll think of something Emil." Max said reassuringly. She looked at Fang, "By the way, Emil, this is F-Nick."

"Are you sure he's names' not Finnick?"

"I'm sure my name's not Finnick.. Just Nick, thank you." Fang said.

Emil looked back towards the room, "And the girl... what's her name?"

"Angel." Max replied.

"Angel..." Fang looked deep in thought. "Got anything yet, Nick?" Emil asked.

Fang looked at them for a moment then hung his head. "No..."

The three of them sighed.

"You must forge a pact." The three jumped and a black panther-like creature appeared.

"Another talking monster!"

"I am not a monster. I, too, am a Centurion. Centurion Tenebrae."

Max groaned, "So many weird names."

"You cannot defeat the monster on the other side of this door as you are now." the creature, Tenebrae, said. "Forge a pack to become a Knight of Ratatosk. Then you will be able to accept Lord Ratatosk's power in battle."

"What do you mean?" Emil asked.

"Again with Ratatosk?" Max sighed.

Tenebrae looked at the two bird-kids. "Are you two a new breed of monster?"

"WHAT?"

"I can tell you're not totally human.. so is it by chance you have another being in you?"

Fang spoke up, "We're 98% human. 2% Avian."

"Fang, don't go blurting out all our secrets!" Max shouted.

Tenebrae concentrated back on Emil. "There is no time to explain. Lady Marta is in danger."

"But you're just a monster- uh... a Centurion, I mean - and I... I don't know if-" Emil bent forward, clutching his head and Tenebrae let out a familiar howl to the boy. "That howl... You were the one calling to me?"

"Lady Marta was looking for you. She has chosen you to be a knight."

"M-me?"

"What about us, don't we get to forge a pact?"

"With Lord Ratatosk, no. But it's possible with a Centurion like Richter has." He turned to Emil. "Now forge a pact!"

"I-I'll make a pact." He said hesitantly. Suddenly, purple rays flew into Emil.

"Emil! I command you. Unleash the power with in you, 'Knight of Ratatosk'!" Tenebrae said. A white light shone in the room and Emil's clothes changed completely.

Then he turned towards the two bird-kids. "Now, which of you would like to make a pact with the Centurion of Darkness?"

"I will." Fang said calmly.

Tenebrae nodded, "Very well." He closed his eyes for a moment then the same purple rays flew into Fang. He had a outfit change as well. He wore a short sleeved jacket that went down to his knees. It was a dark violet with dark blue lining. His pants were black as were his shoes and two wristbands on his wrists. The scars he earned from Ari and other things were visible under the jacket. His wings showed through the slits in the back of the jacket. The wings could also be easily tucked into the back of the jacket.

"What about me, Tenebrae... that's it, right?"

"Correct. You do not have the traits that allow you to be dark elemental. You appear to be wind or light. Luckily, Lumen is the Centurion of Light. Lumen rests here. Let's go now."

They walked into the room, Aqua spun to face them, "Spiteful Tenebrae!" She shouted, "What are you doing here?"

"Let's go." He said simply.

"Ugh! You wanna fight? You're going to regret this!"

Emil stepped forward. He said, "The only one who will regret this is you." His eyes remained close. His voice had changed. It was deeper, it sounded darker. When he opened his eyes, they were blood-red, rather than the usual green. He unsheathed his sword and with anger in his voice, shouted, "Now come on!"

And a battle followed. It didn't last very long and the monster Aqua set out was quickly defeated.

Emil's eyes returned to green and he calmed down. His normal voice returned as well, "Wh-what just happened?" he asked.

"That was Lord Ratatosk's power taking hold of you."

Emil slumped a bit, "It felt like I became a totally different person."

"That was Lord Ratatosk's power." Tenebrae repeated what he just said.

Emil bit his lip, "I'm not quite sure I understand." He finally noticed the collapsed Aqua on the floor, "Anyway, what happened to Aqua? I didn't even touch her."

"Centurions themselves do not fight." Tenebrae said sagely, "They employ monster servants to battle in their place. If their monsters are defeated, the Centurion's power will also fade. Right now she is only unconscious."

"Good. I didn't actually want to hurt her." Emil said in a calmer voice.

Max smiled. Emil was a good kid. She liked that about him.

"No time to waste! We must find Lady Marta!" Tenebrae said. And with that final word, they took off.

** (1)**After a short time, Emil started to speak in a discouraged way. "I don't know if I can do this." he said.

"You can. I have every confidence in you that you can save Lady Marta." Tenebrae told him reassuringly.

Max nodded, "Yeah Emil. Us bird-kids don't fail when we want to do something."

Emil sighed, unsure of himself. Fang spoke, making everyone jump because he had managed not to make any noise as if he wasn't there, "Don't be such a wimp. Suck up your worries and fears because they could get in the way."

Max thwacked Fang on the head, "Don't bring him down even more Fang!"

"You must believe in yourself as a Knight of Ratatosk." Tenebrae said.

"But I..."

"Humans have a saying, 'Seeing is Believing.'"

Max looked at Fang then back at Tenebrae, _Is this guy serious?_

"I-I'm not sure that applies here. Anyway, thank you guys. I'll give it my best shot." Emil smiled with more confidence.

They continued on to a door and when they tried to open it, it wouldn't budge.

"C'mon stupid door!" Max shouted at it.

"I don't think shouting at it will do anything, Max" Emil said.

Max snapped at him, "I know that!"

"Richter must have sealed it off." Tenebrae said. Max decided she was going to knock the door down with force and started beating on it. "I feel a draft. There must be another passage somewhere." Tenebrae continued, "Emil, perhaps you could use your Sorcerer's Ring to examine the walls?"

"What?" Emil turned to him. "What's that?"

"There, on your finger." Emil looked at his hand, and sure enough, there was a ring on his finger. "That ring was given to you by Lord Ratatosk, as a symbol of your pact. Magic powers dwell within." Tenebrae explained

Emil tilted his head, "But I... only elves and half-elves can use magic. I'm just human."

"Don't worry. That ring can be used as humans as well."

"Awesome, test it out Emil." Max said, having stopped trying to beat her way through the door. **(2)**"So Tenebrae... somewhere along the way I got all new clothes."

"I noticed that as well." Fang said.

Tenebrae spoke in an all-knowing voice, "I see you've finally noticed! I've been wondering when you would bring it up!"

_I noticed right away, it just never seemed like a good time to ask._ Fang and Emil thought in unison.

Tenebrae continued speaking, "Along with your Sorcerer's Ring, Emil, those clothes are a symbol of your pact with Ratatosk, or in Fang's case, your pact with me. It's vital that a Knights of Ratatosk and Centurion's Knights present themselves with a certain degree of elegance." Emil nodded in understanding. Tenebrae went on cheerily explaining the clothes, "The outfit's fabric is prepared with a number of special incantations and hexes that make the garment waterproof, wrinkle-free, and mold-resistant. The design is meant to evoke Lord Ratatosk's fierce bravery and subtle grace. The effect is mesmerizing."

"Wait a sec, one other question."

"What is it?"

"What happened to all my clothes?"

"That is the darkness'- never mind."

"What?" Tenebrae only responded with a dark chuckle. "Hey! C'mon! Aunt Flora is gonna kill me if I lose those clothes!"

Tenebrae shrunk back a bit, "Only the darkness knows."

They continued walking until they ran into a monster. "Ah. An Imp. This will do nicely. Let us forge a pact. Since this is a dark elemental monster, Fang can get the first try."

"Why are you two calling him Fang? I thought his name was Nick." Emil pointed out.

"His name is really Fang." Max replied.

"Oh."

"Your powers as Knights are granted to you by Lord Ratatosk." Tenebrae said, "It is true for Fang as well since I'd be unable to forge such pacts without Lord Ratatosk. However, Ratatosk is currently in a deep slumber. The power you are granted is very weak."

"This is weak?" Emil asked.

"Lord Ratatosk is very powerful. As you gain experience and grow your abilities, it is crucial you continue to unlock more of his strength." Tenebrae replied.

"How the hell do we do that?" Max asked, feeling left out because of the guy triangle.

"It's simple. We Centurions share a bond with Lord Ratatosk. If power is restored to the Centurions, Lord Ratatosk's strength will return as well. We can accomplish this by forging pacts with monsters."

"And how do we do that?" Fang asked.

"As I explained earlier," Tenebrae began, "Centurions do not engage in battle themselves. We use monsters under our control. A Centurion's power depends upon the number and strength of the monsters it employs. I am the Centurion of Darkness, so any pact you make with dark elemental monsters will bring them under my control, and make me more powerful in the process."

"So, the more monsters on our side, the stronger we get."

"Correct."

Fang asked, or more demanded, "Show us how to make a pact."

"In order to make a pact, you must first prove you are more powerful than your opponent. You must force them to yield to you in battle." Tenebrae walked forward and tapped the monster before returning to them.

"You didn't say we had to fight!" Emil panicked.

"I just did. Ah, it approaches."

And so, the battle began and Ratatosk took Emil. They won with flying colors. "That was almost too easy." Max said

"Definitely" Fang agreed.

"Yes." Ratatosk Emil said.**(3)**

Fang began the process of forging a pact and succeeded in doing so. They now had an imp on their team. "Well done. The imp is now our ally."

"Hey, Aqua is a Centurion too, right? Will we get stronger if she has more monsters under her control?" Emil asked.

Tenebrae spoke solemnly, "No. Centurion Aqua has severed her bonds with Lord Ratatosk. As such, even if she acquires more monsters under her control, your powers will not increase."

"This is so confusing." Max groaned.

Tenebrae chuckled and continued walking until they came upon a wolf. "Ah a wolf. It's your turn to forge a pact, Emil." he said, "I'll teach you a way to make forging pacts easier."

"There's an easier way?"

"Yes. You can make monsters on your side fight beside you. If your ally and enemy are compatible, the pact will go by smoother."

"Okay."

They began fighting again and won. "Is that it?" asked. He made the pact with the wolf, using Fang's imp to help him. Now they had a wolf to fight along side them.

"Well done. Now the wolf has also become our ally."

"Why is making pacts easier depending on the monster you have fighting with you?" Emil asked.

"Monsters have compatibility with each other. The type and strength of the monsters you befriend also have an effect on pacts. Make sure to experiment with this yourself."

The continued moving and got into another battle, on accident, and made another pact.

**(4)**"That monster just joined us?" Emil asked.

"Bravo!" Tenebrae cheered.

"Huh?" All three of the teenagers said.

"Beautiful! Fantastic! Simply Excellent! I must admit, I am quite impressed." Tenebrae continued, smiling.

"R-really?" Emil asked.

"Of course that monster is ideal for beginners. I would have been rather concerned had you failed."

"Oh..."

Eventually, Emil found a moss covered switch and pressed it. As a result, part of the wall opened up. "The wall just opened!"

"This may lead to where we need to go." Tenebrae said, "Let's proceed."

**(1) Marking the skits: 'Seeing is Believing'**

**(2) Skit: 'Only the Darkness Knows'**

**(3) This is one of those after-battle quotes xD I'll be using those too**

**(4) Skit: 'Well Done'**


	4. Ch 3: A World in Discord part 1

_Sinoa Lakebed Cave_

The three teens and Tenebrae walked into a room to find Richter, wounded on the floor. "Richter!" Emil called, running to the man's side.

"Ugh..."

"Hang on! H-how did this-" Emil began

Richter's voice was weak "I was careless... Lloyd..."

"Huh?"

"Lloyd Irving... he..."

Anger filled Emil's eyes, "Lloyd? You mean the servant of the Chosen of Regeneration?"

"The core... he-" Richter didn't' get to finish as he fell unconscious.

Emil began shaking him, "Richter!

"Don't worry. The attack missed his vital organs." Emil stopped shaking the man.

"So he'll survive?"

Max crossed her arms, "I hope not."

"Don't say that!"

"Just leave him here and he will be fine." Tenebrae stopped the argument about to come. "It is most important to go after Lady Marta."

"B-but we can't just leave him here! We have to at least tell someone!"

Tenebrae started the lecture, "There's no time. Now that Lloyd has appeared, time is of the essence. Lady Marta's life is in grave danger. After all, this man is the enemy. Didn't you come here to protect her?"

"I did, but I can't just leave him like this! Richter said some mean things but he helped me. I can't just abandon him! Go on and find Marta. I'll catch up with you as soon as I can."

Tenebrae looked at Fang and Max "Will you be staying with Emil or coming with me?"

Fang turned toward Emil, "I see why you're worried about him, but he'll be fine, like Tenebrae said. I'm not going to tell you not to get him help if you're that worried, but I'm not going to stick around and waste time."

"What Fang said." Max said. "I already dislike adults enough, the fact he betrayed your trust pissed me off a bit. I'm not the kind of person that wishes death on people. I just overreacted... I guess."

"She finally admits a fault." Fang said with a smirk, earning a thonk from Max.

"Very well. We will see you when you're finished." Tenebrae said, leading the bird-kids from the room.

**(1)** "I hope this doesn't come around and bite us in the butt." Max said.

"Emil is a good kid. I'm sure he knows what he's doing." Fang said.

Max smiled, "I guess he made a good first impression with you."

Fang didn't reply. _Actually, I hated him because you were with him. But I guess you just followed him. I couldn't say that out loud._

The bird-kids and Centurion walked into a chamber where a boy clad in red stood. He looked like the statue Max had seen in Luin. "Is that Lloyd?"

"Max!" A child's voice came from behind them. It was Marta and Angel. Guess they found them instead. Lloyd heard the girl call out the name and spun around to face them, unsheathing his swords.

"So you thought that you were going to attack me in a group. Well forgive me but I'm not giving you the core."

Max frowned, "We'll take it from you by force then!" She lunged at the boy to attack him, Marta joined in too. They fought it out until Emil entered the room and interrupted them.

Everyone's eyes were on the blond who was shaking with anger, "Lloyd... Lloyd Irving! Why are you here?"

"Who are you?" Lloyd asked.

"Why did you kill them?" Emil asked. Max stared at Lloyd, whatever Emil was peeved about, he was responsible for. And if Emil wasn't just crazy, that'd mean Lloyd killed someone close to him.

Marta called out, "Emil!"

"My mother and father... and all those people in Palmacosta! Why did you kill them!"

Max continued to stare at the brown haired boy. He closed his eyes, looking somewhat pained before opening them again and turning his head away. "Not again... with Palmacosta..."

Emil reached for his sword, "How dare you say that! What do you mean 'again'? I'll never forgive you!" Ratatosk took over and Emil ran at him, slicing the sword down, only to be blocked.

The three bird-kids and Marta joined in but Lloyd overpowered them. Emil watched as Lloyd took the gem at the altar inside of the chamber then blacked out.

When they came to, Lloyd was gone, but they were alive. "Okay, I officially want to kick his ass..." Max said then remembered Angel was there, "I mean butt" She looked around to find Angel missing. "Where's Angel...?"

Fang sighed, "This is great."

Tenebrae interrupted their thoughts "Lady Marta, Lumen's core is..."

"It's gone!" she exclaimed.

"A-are you talking about a white jewel? I think Lloyd took it with him. Is it important?" Emil asked.

Tenebrae nodded "Yes. It is vital to your journey that we obtain it. Lady Marta let's hurry. We must go after them."

"I'm coming with you." Max said, "If we're going to run into Lloyd then I want to make him sorry for killing Emil's parents and taking Angel from us."

"I'll come too." Fang said.

Marta nodded, "Okay, but first..." She turned toward Emil. "Thanks so much Emil. I really appreciate you saving me again."

Emil took a step back, "Uh... I didn't do anything, really. I mean, I was pretty much useless."

"But you did save me." Marta said, "You became a knight, a Knight of Ratatosk. That's why you were able to save me, right? I always thought that you would make a wonderful knight! It's true! That's what I thought, ever since the first time we met."

"You what?"

Marta blushed, "I guess it wasn't as memorable for you. But honestly I'm very grateful to you for saving me. What would I have done without you?" Now it was Emil's turn to blush. "Emil, would you help us? Just until we get out of here?"

"Y-yeah. Sure." Emil said. _Marta is kind of a strange girl. _They looked around the room and found a yellow mask on the floor, "What's this?"

"It looks like the mask Lloyd was wearing." Marta said.

"It's pretty tacky." said Emil.

Both Fang and Max nodded. "Super tacky." Marta agreed.

"Tacky indeed" Tenebrae agreed as well. Emil picked the mask up and put it in his bag.

**(2)**"This is Lloyd's mask." Marta said. "It's probably inspired by the that play, 'Phantom of the Operetta.'" She said.

Emil tilted his head, "You think so? It reminds me more of 'F for Fued.'"

"Is that the one about the twin brothers where one is a king and at the end they switch places?" Marta asked.

"You're thinking of the Man in the Aluminum Mask. How could you get those confused?"

Both bird-kids and Tenebrae slumped down, "I have no clue what you're talking about." Tenebrae said.

They tried the exit to the room and it was sealed then they went to the door they entered from, it was sealed as well. Max went to slamming her fists against the door to open it.

"Damn! This is Lloyd's doing! He must have done this to trap us here!" Marta proclaimed.

"There is a draft." Tenebrae said, "There must be another way out." They looked around and Emil found a poster on the wall with Lloyd painted on it.

Everyone walked closer to it and Emil read it out loud, "'Jewel Hunter Lloyd Irving is here.' What's this?"

"Ugh! That jerk!" Marta shouted, "Set it on fire!"

Tenebrae said, "Emil, burn it for her."

Emil burned the poster and a switch was underneath. Max went ahead - and probably broke it - and she pressed it with her fist, opening the exit. "Woo! Awesome!~" She cheered before running out, "I hate caves!"

Fang sighed, "I don't like caves either, let's go." he said, following the brunette, followed by Emil, Marta, and Tenebrae.

**(3)** "So... Marta, about this Ratotax..." Emil said

Marta corrected him, "It's Ratatosk, not Ratotax."

Emil nodded, "Oh right, so this Ratattacks."

Tenebrae corrected him this time, "It's Ra-ta-tosk!"

Emil groaned, "Sheesh, what's the difference?"

Tenebrae glared at the boy, "'What's the difference?' How rude! How would you feel if someone were to call you 'Eh-mule'?"

Marta smiled sweetly, "Actually, my Eh-mule is quite the combination of strength and servility!"

Tenebrae chuckled, "Well played, Lady Marta, well played."

**(4)** The teens continued on and Max stopped "Why would... Lloyd? Why would Lloyd be collecting the cores?" Max asked

The others stopped and turned towards her, "I assume it has something to do with extermination of the people against the Church of Martel."

"Church of Martel?"

Emil answered this question, "Martel is the gaurdian of the World Tree"

"So it's important... but that doesn't mean the people who are against the church should be killed!" Max said in disgust.

"I know. In Palmacosta-" Marta began.

Emil shouted, "What about Palmacosta?"

"N-never mind." Marta mumbled, then her voice became angry, "Anyway, he's teamed up with the Church of Martel to oppress the people of Sylvarant. So he must be gathering the cores for some lousy reason or another! It makes me want to scream! Lloyd stands for lousy, with a capital L!"

"Yeah! And that second L in his name stands for loser!" Emil said.

"Or even lardaceous." Tenebrae said cheerfully. The four teens took a few steps away from the Centurion.

"What does that mean?" Emil asked.

"No clue, Fang?" Max said, Fang shrugged and looked at Marta.

"Beats me."

The group kept on moving and after a while they stopped to explain everything. Marta explained to Max and Fang about the whole Journey of World Regeneration and then explained Ratatosk and the Centurions core. They learned that Ratatosk's core was attached to Marta's forehead and people like Lloyd and Richter wanted it. It just confused Max. "Okay, I'm usually not this confused." she said.

"Sorry. Let's head to Luin now, okay?" Marta said.

"We need to pick up our... siblings first, okay?" Max said.

Marta nodded, "Fine with me."

_Sinoa Lake bed  
><em>

Iggy crossed his arms, "Nice going, Gazzy."

"I'm not the only one guilty of charge!" Gazzy shouted at the taller boy. The two had managed to blow the ship up. Nudge was trying to fix her hair which was sticking all over from the big boom.

Nudge began rambling "You two just don't know when to stop! When Max sees this she'll skin you alive! And then she'll feed your skin to a bear or something! Oh my poor hair! You two are going to be in so much trouble!"

"Iggy! Gazzy, what did you do?" Max's voice came from behind Nudge.

Both boys attempted to hide behind the African-avian-American girl.

"It was Nudge's idea!" Gazzy said.

Max crossed her arms, "Sure it was." She looked back at Marta and Emil, "Have you met yet?" Fang nodded.

"Marta has. Emil, this is Iggy, Nudge, and the Gasman." Fang said. The three waved.

Emil stared at Iggy for a few minutes, "Why aren't your eyes focused?" Emil asked

"Why are you stupid?" **(5)**Iggy asked back in an annoyed tone. "I'm blind."

"Oh... I'm sorry."

"Let's head to Luin now." Marta said, becoming impatient. Everyone agreed and went into town.

_Luin_

The group of now five teens and two children walked into the town and stopped, "I'll drop out of sight as not to draw attention." Tenebrae announced.

"Holy crap, it's a talking dog, like Total!" Nudge gasped, "What's your name, doggy? I'm Nudge, you're a weird dog, aren't you! You're so adorable!" Her rambling was stopped by Iggy's hand clamped on her mouth.

"My name is Tenebrae. And I'm not a dog, I am a Centurion. I will explain that later."

Emil paused, "Wait, you didn't call the monsters here to attack the town, did you?"

Tenebrae scoffed, "Of course not. Those monsters were lured here by Lumen's core. When Centurions like me are in their core state their powers become unstable and monsters of that element are drawn to the core. This results in the disruption of the mana balance and the world is thrown into chaos."

"Care to explain anything to us?" Iggy asked.

"Why don't we head to Emil's house and explain there?" Marta suggested.

Emil nodded, "We'll explain later, but we need to talk to the mayor." he said.

"Fine." the blind boy said, crossing his arms.

The teens walked around the town towards the mayor's home. **(6)** "Tenebrae, are you here?" Emil asked as the Centurion suddenly flew past him.

"Yes, I'm right over here."

"Huh? Where?"

He flew past again, "Here."

Emil looked towards the direction he went, "Here?"

He flew past the boy again, "No, over here!"

"Wait, you mean here?"

Iggy and Gazzy were holding back their fits of laughter. Max gave them a look which was ineffective on Iggy. "Tenebrae!" She shouted at the Centurion as he was flying by Emil. He stopped.'

"Yeah, listen to Max and stop teasing Emil!" Marta scolded Tenebrae.

"How rude. This is all part of the training of a knight of Ratatosk." Tenebrae said. He began to float off again, chuckling, "Now. Where am I now?"

Emil sighed, "Now I see why Aqua calls you 'spiteful'."

**(7)**Marta began lagging behind a bit and spoke to herself, "Rats! Here I was getting all ready to visit Emil's house, introduce myself to his family, and make our status as a wonderful new couple official!" She ranted.

Tenebrae appeared beside her, "So that's why you wanted to go to Emil's home so suddenly."

Marta smiled as a thought came to her, "Oh, I get it! Emil's so shy he was too embarrassed to return home with his girlfriend!" She proclaimed.

"Sounds like wishful thinking." Tenebrae said. Marta smacked him on the head.

"Quiet Tenebrae!" She said, "That does it, I've gotta get Emil to like me more!" She ran to catch up with him and wrapped her arms around his arm, "Hey Emil! When's your birthday? What's your favorite food? Do you like girls with long hair or short hair better?"

"Should I cover her mouth?" Iggy asked Max who elbowed him in the ribs.

"H-hey Marta! Stop clinging to me!"

"I'm afraid this will be an unrequited love."

**(1) Skit[not from the game]: 'Good First Impression'**

**(2) Skit: 'Masked Man'**

**(3) Skit: 'Eh-mule'**

**(4) Skit: 'Lardaceous?'**

**(5) That was mean, Iggy D:**

**(6) Skit: 'Where Are You?'**

**(7) Skit: 'Wishful Thinking'**

**Please Review! Reviews help me come up with ideas!  
><strong>


	5. Ch 4: A World in Discord part 2

_Somewhere in the wilderness_

"Lloyd Irving!" Angel called out to the boy on his Rheaird. "I'm a friend, don't run away please!" She too, was in the air, but she had her wings extended. She landed on the Rheaird.

"Be careful, you could fall off!" Lloyd shouted, genuinely worried.

Angel shook her head. "If I fall off I can catch myself." she said, fluttering her wings. "I came because I know what really happened in Palmacosta."

Lloyd sighed, "Look, if I supposedly killed someone you cared about then-"

"I know you weren't responsible for it." She interrupted him. "I know what your real intentions are. But I won't tell anyone, trust me. I'll keep it secret."

Lloyd looked at the eight year old for a few moments, "Okay. Are you going to come with me or something?"

"Thank you for inviting me to do that!" Angel said with a smile.

"I'm not inviting you to-" Angel did some quick changing of thoughts and Lloyd agreed to let her stick with him.

_Luin - Mayor's House_

A tall man and several masked ones ran up to the group, "We've found you, Lady Marta. We have been looking for you!" the tall one shouted.

Marta spun and looked at the man, "Hawk."

The rest of them turned to face him, "Is he a friend?" Emil asked nervously.

"Commander Brute says all will be forgiven if you return Ratatosk's core and you will be able to join the Vanguard again!"

Emil gasped, "He's part of the Vanguard?"

Marta glared at Hawk, "You can tell Commander Brute that what you did- What all of you did - is unforgivable!"

Hawk played innocent. "Whatever do you mean?" He asked.

Max glared at him. She and her crew were the only ones allowed to be sarcastic towards their enemies, not their enemies. What she did next surprised Marta and Emil, for they hadn't seen how quickly Max could lash out. She leapt towards the man and drop kicked him. He took several steps back to regain himself with an not-so-un-obvious concussion. "Seize Lady Marta!" He shouted shakily.

Several more Vaguard soldiers surrounded them and the battle began. The kids won with flying colors when Tenebrae appeared, "We must get leave here at once!" he shouted.

"Right! Let's go!" Marta agreed, she grabbed Emil who didn't follow right away and dragged him out of the town, followed by the bird kids who had nothing else to do.

They ran through the plaza, trying to find an exit not blocked by the Vanguard when Hawk cornered them, "Get them!" he shouted just as something connected with his head, knocking him out.

Behind him stood a large man in golden armor. Marta looked at the him, "Y-you're from the Church of Martel!"

The man sheathed his lance, "I am Magnar, Commandant of the Church of Martel! By the order of Lloyd Irving I have come to take the demon lord's core and the Centurion's core!" he announced

Max cracked her knuckles, preparing to fight again, "You're pissing me off." she announced.

"Hand it over and I will guarantee that none of you will be harmed. However, if you refuse, this town will meet the same fate as Palmacosta." Magnar said.

Emil blinked, "Same as Palamcosta? What do you mean?"

Magnar looked at him, "What, boy? You don't know?" He asked. Emil shook his head. "The foolish Vanguard planned a rebellion in order to destroy the Church of Martel!" He said.

"So that's why that bastard.. that jerk killed all those people?" Max shouted at him.

Tenebrae sent out the imp they had befriended and managed to get everyone to leave the town with him. They stopped running after a bit and looked back at the town.

"That guy is nuts." Gazzy announced. Emil turned towards Marta.

"Marta, hand them the core." He said.

Marta turned towards him, "But... I... I can't." She said.

"Why not?" Emil asked angrily, "If you, the Vanguard hadn't attempted a rebellion, then Palmacosta wouldn't have been destroyed in the first place!" He shouted. Tenebrae turned away and Marta looked down at her feet. "I-I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said that!" He said, quickly. "But if we don't do something, Luin will be destroyed! And if that happens, everyone will blame me."

Max slapped him, "You shouldn't be worried about yourself! You're just a selfish, cowardly little-"

"No, he's right, Max." Marta said. She turned and started walking away.

"Where are you-?" Emil asked.

Marta turned back, "I'll give them Ratatosk's core. I'm sorry, Tenebrae."

"Marta, wait, I'm coming with you!" Max announced, following her.

Tenebrae looked at Emil, "Emil, Knight of Ratatosk, you just sent Marta to her death." He said. "Lord Ratatosk's core on her forehead requires energy from her body. The core cannot be separated from her before Lord Ratatosk awakens. Removing it beforehand will surely cause he death. "

"No! We have to got tell her!" Emil shouted.

Tenebrae shook his head, his tone grave, "She already knows. She plans to die for this town and for you for your petty desire." he said. "I just wanted you to know the consequences of your words."

"I'm going to go stop her." Emil announced.

"You will be ostracized by the people."

Emil looked back at the dark centurion, "I don't care!"

"I'm coming with you." Fang announced.

Tenebrae nodded, "I will come as well."

Fang looked at Nudge, Iggy, and Gazzy. "You three stay here... don't blow anything up." He said.

_Luin - Town Square_

Max and Marta walked up to the Martel Knight. "I'm here now, are you happy?" She asked.

Magnus looked at her, "Tell us, where are Ratatosk's core and the Centurion's cores?"

Marta shook her head, "I don't know where the Centurion's cores are, but Ratatosk's core is right here." She said, pointing to her forehead. "If you want it that badly, you'll have to take it with my head."

Magnar smiled, scratching his chin, "What a marvelous idea! I think I will. Seize her men!" He shouted. Two Martel knights came on either side of Marta and brought her to her knees. "Alright! We have no more need for this town. " Magnar continued barking out orders, "Hand down the divine punishment they deserve!"

Max had been keeping quiet for a short time, but this pissed her off. "You said you'd-"

"That's enough. Silence! The orders of Lloyd the Great are absolute!" Two more soldiers came behind Max and by some miracle also brought her to her knees. "Alright men! The time has come! Pillage! Kill! Show them the divine punishment of the goddess Martel!"

"Yes sir!" With that, the Martel knights began terrorizing the town.

Emil, Tenebrae, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, and Gazzy**(1)** ran through the town, trying to reach the plaza. Emil spotted Marta across the bridge into the square, he looked around for a possibly safer way to get around other than the bridge but when the Martel Knights were all over the place, his search did not succeed. So he began running a cross the bridge, the rest of them following except Tenebrae who held Gazzy back. Emil reached the edge of the bridge shouting a loud, "Stop it!" then... it exploded. The explosion sent the boy through the air and he landed in a roll on the ground, ending up face down.

Fang and Iggy had been ahead of him so they had succeeded in missing the explosion and Nudge managed to jump off the bridge into the lake bed before it happened. Fang give Iggy a hard glance which proved useless on him.

"I didn't do it, I swear."

Marta stared frightened at the fact the blast may have killed Emil. Max stared as well. It seemed he was dead for a few seconds before his hand began to twitch.

Suddenly, Emil's body began to give off a black aura. Dark circles appeared on the ground below him and he slowly got to his feet. "Didn't you hear me?" Ratatosk Emil's voice called out. He looked up at Magnar with a looked that said he was pissed, "I told you to stop it, you miserable swine!"

Emil ran at the knights pinning Marta down and swiftly _killed_ them with ease... with his bare hands. He then knocked out the ones pinning Max. He turned towards the other soldiers with a wild look as he removed his sword. "I'll teach you the true meaning of divine punishment!"

Without anyone's help, Emil took out four more of the knights. When he was finished he stood beside Marta and held out his hand, "Stand up, Marta."

"Uh... Emil..." Marta mumbled.

The flock members that had made it over the bridge all regained their composure and prepared to join in the next fight.

Emil turned towards Magnar with a smirk dancing on his lips. "Now then... time for your punishment. Pray to Martel one last time. Pray for a painless death!" He bore his teeth and the battle began, they quickly brought Magnar to his knees... more like his butt since he was sitting against one of the benches.

Max cheered at their victory, "Take _that_ and shove it in his... Emil what are you doing?"

Emil was walking towards the man, a demonically sadistic look on his face. He stood directly in front of him as he sheathed his sword. "I... I don't understand.. who are you?" Magnar asked.

"The question is.. who the hell are you?" Emil placed his foot on the breast-plat of the armor.

The flock and Marta watched silently, waiting to see what Emil was going to do. "Well, let's see your divine punishment. Go on. Show it to me!" Emil slugged the man in the face, the punches continued to hit Magnar as Emil beat him mercilessly, "Are you listening?"

Max spoke up, "Emil!" Emil payed no heed to the winged brunette.

Fang tried, "Emil stop it." still no change.

"Emil! That's enough!" Marta shouted and Emil became Emil again.

He looked at the shocked faces around him slowly. "What... what did I do?" he mumbled before running off.

"Let's go after him." Max said, everyone agreeing with her. They ran after the blond but were stopped by the town's mayor.

"You're all friends of Emil's correct...?" He asked. Everyone nodded. "Could you ask him to see me in my house, please?"

Marta nodded, "Of course."

And so, they grabbed their little Knight of Ratatosk and took him to the Mayor's house where he told Emil to leave, but return once everything was taken care of on his(Emil's) end. And so, the group headed for the town of Asgard.

**(1) I never said they listened to Fang's orders xD**


End file.
